Pixel Watch 5 pulled from the ocean just became the strangest leak in technology

A tech leak in the wild usually involves blurry photos and devices hidden behind anti-spyware casesor someone who accidentally leaves a prototype in a bar (gratitude to the escape of the Nexus 4). But the assumption Pixel 5 Clock It may have set a new record for the strangest leak ever by apparently being discovered at the bottom of the ocean.

Over the weekend, Gearbox co-founder Randy Pitchford shared a strange story on X claiming that a friend found an unreleased Google Pixel Watch 5 while diving near the island of St. Martin.

According to Pitchford, the watch was discovered underwater and appeared to continue working despite its unexpected deep-sea adventure.

The story somehow became even stranger when Pitchford later posted an update saying that the owner had already been found thanks to “the magic of the Internet” and that arrangements had been made to return the watch.

The attached images are what really make this leak interesting. The back of the device clearly displays markings that say “Google” and “Pixel Watch 5,” along with labels for sensors that include “SpO2,” “EDA,” “Skin Temperature,” “Heart Rate Sensor,” “Pulse Sensor,” and “UWB.” IP68 water resistance is also mentioned on the back. It’s a pretty polished-looking prototype for something Google hasn’t even acknowledged exists.

The front of the watch also looks surprisingly complete, with the Pixel Watch’s familiar round design and what appears to be a near-finished hardware build. Honestly, if someone told us this was ready to ship tomorrow, we’d probably believe them.

The timing of the leak is also unusual. The Pixel Watch 4 was only released in October last year, so we’re still a long way away from the expected launch of the Pixel Watch 5. However, this already appears to be ready for production.

Of course, there’s always the possibility that this is an internal prototype being tested in the wild and then accidentally sacrificed in the ocean. Tech companies routinely test unreleased hardware outside of controlled environments, although most prototypes usually don’t end up taking a diving vacation in the Caribbean.

Still, if this story and the device are legit, Google may really want to beef up its prototype tracking system. A device leaking online in renders is one thing. Damn ocean leaks are something else entirely.